This invention relates to monitoring systems and, in particular, relates to interface devices and methods used in a monitoring network to acquire data from a system under test.
Monitoring networks and devices are known for monitoring systems under test. For example, in medical applications, patient monitors are known for monitoring patients. A typical patient monitor includes a display, one or more operator input devices, one or more input ports for connecting the monitor to sensors that acquire data from the patient, and a microprocessor or other signal processor for processing the data acquired from the patient.
A large variety of sensors exist that may be used for data acquisition. For example, in medical applications, it may be desirable to receive data from sensors such as a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor, a ventilator sensor, a urometer sensor, a pulse oximetry (SPO2) sensor, an ECG sensor, a respiration sensor, an invasive or non-invasive blood pressure sensor, and so on. Within each of these different sensor types, a wide range of specific sensors exist that are available from different manufacturers, and it is desirable to be able to provide health care facilities with the option of connecting patient monitors to a variety of different sensors available from different sensor manufacturers.
Interface devices are sometimes used to increase the number and/or variety of sensors that can be used to acquire data for a monitoring device. Often, one or more such interface devices are connected to a communication network along with one or more monitoring devices. A need exists for an interface device that can operate in a variety of modes of operation. For example, in some situations, it is desirable to have an interface device that operates in a stand-alone mode of operation, e.g., by transmitting data over a communication network to a variety of monitoring devices. This allows the data from the sensors to be made available at any monitoring device that wishes to view the data. In other instances, it is desirable to have an interface device that serves as a peripheral device for a monitoring device. For example, it may be desirable for the interface device to operate from an operator""s perspective as if the interface device is directly connected to the monitoring device, or in some other manner which results in the operator perceiving the monitoring device as being more closely associated with the particular interface device than with other interface devices on the communication network.
Additionally, such interface devices and monitoring device are often connected to a communication network along with other interface devices and monitoring devices. When establishing a network connection between a particular patient monitoring device and a particular interface device, a need exists for a way to ensure that the correct two devices are connected together and to make connecting the two devices together as easy for the operator as possible.
A monitoring system and method that meets one or more of these needs would be highly desirable.
According to a first preferred embodiment, an interface device for a monitoring system comprises a communication interface, a microprocessor, and a memory. The communication interface is adapted to connect the interface device to a communication network to transmit data acquired by the interface device using a plurality of sensors over the communication network. The memory is programmed to provide the interface device with a peripheral mode of operation and a stand-alone mode of operation. In the peripheral mode of operation, the interface device operates as a peripheral device for one of a plurality of monitors. In the stand-alone mode of operation, the interface device operates as a stand-alone device for multiple ones of the plurality of monitors. In particular, in the stand-alone mode of operation, the interface device operates as a stand-alone device available to transmit the data from the sensors to multiple ones of the plurality of monitors by way of the communication network.
According to another preferred aspect, a monitoring system comprises a communication network, a sensor, an interface device, and a plurality of monitors. The sensor is capable of acquiring data from a system under test. The interface device is coupled to the sensor to receive the data from the system under test. The interface device and each of the plurality of monitors is coupled to the communication network. The interface device has a peripheral mode of operation and a stand-alone mode of operation. The interface device operates as a peripheral device for a selected one of the plurality of monitors in the peripheral mode of operation, and operates as a stand-alone device available to transmit the data to each of the plurality of monitors in the stand-alone mode of operation.
According to another preferred aspect, a monitoring system comprises a communication network, a plurality of sensors, a monitor, a plurality of interface devices, and an identification link. The plurality of sensors are capable of acquiring data from a plurality of systems under test. The monitor has a display and is coupled to the communication network. The plurality of interface devices are coupled to respective ones of the plurality of sensors to receive the data from the systems under test. The plurality of interface devices are also coupled to the communication network. A selected one of the plurality of interface devices operates as a peripheral device for the monitor. The identification link provides a separate physical connection between the monitor and the selected one of the plurality of interface devices to thereby provide a visual indication which one of the plurality of interface devices is operating as the peripheral device for the monitor.